The systems described herein integrate virtual keyboard technology and gesture-based controllers into a single module or into a laptop or other mobile computing device in order to make laptops, personal computers, and other mobile computing devices more convenient, more versatile, and with less clutter or fewer peripheral devices than is typically the case with a traditional combination of a physical keyboard with a mouse, touchpad, or track ball. Users of the embodiments disclosed herein will be able to enter data or commands merely by typing or making hand gestures or hand movements, which will lead to greater flexibility, creativity, and productivity, while reducing user ennui and fatigue.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A system for using hand movements for entering information and commands into a computing device comprising: a module having a housing with a bottom portion and a front portion, the module comprising: a laser diode configured for projecting visible light from the front portion onto a surface positioned substantially in front of said module; a diffractive optical element positioned in front of said laser diode and configured for bearing an image of a keyboard, so that a scaled-up image of said keyboard is projected by said laser diode onto said surface, said image of the keyboard comprising a plurality of key images each corresponding to an individual region of said surface; an infrared laser diode positioned to project infrared light substantially parallel to said surface at a first height above said surface, whereby the first height corresponds to a typing region at and above the surface where a user interacts with the image of the keyboard; a complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor configured for detecting first infrared light reflected back from each of said individual regions corresponding to each of said key images and for transmitting image data of said reflected infrared light to a first processor, the first infrared light being reflected back as a result of the user's hand movements at the typing region between the surface and the first height; and said first processor having first software configured for interpreting said image data from a key region, identifying the key image corresponding to said image data, and transmitting said key identifying information to said computing device; said bottom portion below the first height, the bottom portion comprising: a plurality of infrared light-emitting diodes oriented for projecting second infrared light substantially at a gesture region between the first height and a second height above the image of the keyboard on said surface; a plurality of stereoscopic cameras configured for detecting said second infrared light reflected as a result of the user's hand movements in the gesture region and transmitting second image data from said reflected second infrared light to a second processor; and said second processor having second software configured for interpreting said second image data from said hand movement as a gesture, identifying any command or data information corresponding to said image data from said gesture, and transmitting said command or data information to said computing device.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: said first infrared light is reflected back from said individual region corresponding to said key image by said user's hand or one or more of said user's fingers.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: said first processor and said second processor are part of the same processing chip.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: said computing device includes a laptop, personal computer, mobile phone, tablet, or other mobile computing device.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a USB cable to connect the module to the computing device.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a wireless connection, such as Bluetooth, to connect the module to the computing device.
7. A system for integrating a virtual keyboard and gesture-based controller into a mobile computing device, said system comprising: a mobile computing device having an upper portion with a frame around a liquid crystal display, said frame including a left edge portion, a right edge portion, and bottom edge portion; said mobile computing device having a lower portion with a first surface, said lower portion being connected to said upper portion; said upper portion containing: an infrared laser diode located in said bottom edge portion and positioned to project first infrared light substantially parallel to said first surface of said lower portion; complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor located in said bottom edge portion and positioned to detect first infrared light reflected back from an individual region of said first surface of said lower portion and for transmitting image data of said reflected infrared light to a first processor; said first processor having first software configured for interpreting said image data from said individual region, identifying the individual region corresponding to said image data, and transmitting region identification information to said mobile computing device; said lower portion containing: a plurality of infrared light-emitting diodes oriented for projecting second infrared light substantially upward from said first surface of said lower portion; a plurality of stereoscopic cameras oriented substantially upward and configured for detecting second infrared light reflected from an object positioned substantially above said first surface and transmitting second image data from said reflected second infrared light to a second processor; and said second processor having second software configured for interpreting said second image data, identifying any command or data information corresponding to said image data, and transmitting said command or data information to said mobile computing device.
8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising: said mobile computing device includes a laptop, netbook, or other portable computer.
9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising: said surface of said lower portion having an image of a keyboard etched or displayed thereon, said keyboard having individual key images in individual regions of said surface; said complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor being capable of detecting first infrared light reflected from each individual region corresponding to each key image in said keyboard; and said first processor having said first software for identifying the individual region corresponding to each key image in said keyboard when said first infrared light is reflected from an individual key region, and transmitting key region identification information to said first processor.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising: said first infrared light is reflected back from said individual region corresponding to said key image by said user's hand or one or more of said user's fingers.
11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising: said object includes said user's hand or one or more said user's fingers.
12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising: a laser diode for projecting visible light onto said surface of said lower portion, said laser diode being located in said frame of said upper portion; a diffractive optical element positioned in front of said laser diode and bearing an image of a keyboard, so that a scaled-up image of said keyboard is projected by said laser diode onto said surface of said lower portion, said image of the keyboard comprising a plurality of key images each corresponding to an individual region of said surface; said complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor being capable of detecting infrared light reflected from each of said individual regions corresponding to each of said key images in said keyboard; and said first processor having said first software for identifying the individual region corresponding to an individual key image when said infrared light is reflected from said individual region, and transmitting identification information to said first processor.
13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising: said laser diode and said diffractive optical element being located in a left edge portion or a right edge portion of said upper portion.
14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising: said laser diode and diffractive optical element being located in the bottom edge portion of said upper portion.
15. The system of claim 7 , further comprising: said plurality of infrared light-emitting diodes and said plurality of stereoscopic cameras being located in an edge portion of said surface of said lower portion.
16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising: said edge portion being located to right or left of said virtual keyboard.
17. The system of claim 7 , further comprising: a first plurality of said infrared light-emitting diodes and a first camera being located in a first edge portion of said lower portion to the left of said virtual keyboard; and a second plurality of said infrared light-emitting diodes and a second camera being located in a second edge portion of said lower portion to right of said virtual keyboard.
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December 9, 2016
December 4, 2018
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